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Ex-Council candidate held on restraining order violations

By Lisa Redmond, lredmond@lowellsun.com

Updated:
04/04/2013 12:24:46 AM EDT

LOWELL -- A former City Council candidate is being held without bail after being accused by his former girlfriend, who has taken out seven restraining orders against him, of violating the latest restraining order by calling her 24 times in less than 24 hours.

In Lowell District Court, Darius Mitchell, 40, pleaded not guilty Monday to violation of a restraining order for a March 19 incident.

In several of the earlier calls, the alleged victim, 32, told police she informed Mitchell she has a restraining order and that he is not to contact her. The victim alleges Mitchell responded that he didn't care about the restraining order and that he would keep calling, according to court documents.

Mitchell allegedly called the victim twice while police were at the scene.

Police have unsuccessfully tried to contact Mitchell multiple times at multiple addresses to serve him with a restraining order. Although Mitchell has not been served, a judge wrote that Mitchell is avoiding service because he is aware of the restraining order, documents state.

In court, defense attorney Glen Randall, who represents Mitchell, said his client denies calling his former girlfriend. He argued that Mitchell, who works full-time, should be released so he can support his children, who live with his ex-girlfriend. Randall stressed that when Mitchell discovered there was a warrant for his arrest, he turned himself in.

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Mitchell, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2003 and 2005, told the judge that he returned to Lowell after spending four years away because he wanted to spend time with his children.

But the judge revoked Mitchell's bail on his pending restraining-order violation cases, holding him without bail, and placed $2,000 cash bail on his new violation of restraining-order cases.

In 2008, Mitchell was charged with disorderly conduct in connection with a melee outside the former Cafe Europa on Central Street in which three people were stabbed. Mitchell was not charged in connection with the stabbings.

Two years earlier, Mitchell was arrested by Lowell police for domestic assault and battery, assault and battery on a police officer, intimidating a witness, resisting arrest and giving a false name to police after he allegedly poured water on his longtime girlfriend's face during a quarrel and then resisted arrest.

He also had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear for jury duty and three default warrants for failing to appear in court on motor-vehicle charges.

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